Where Do We Stand, Exactly?
by Annzy Bananzy
Summary: England is shocked when he hears America ask him such a question, and even more shocked to find out the answer...


**A/N: I had this thing typed up on my iPod for a few months, completely under the impression that I had never finished it, but the I came back to it one day and realized that it could actually be considered a completed story XP **

**I hope you enjoy! =)**

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"England," America said with a tone of utmost seriousness. "Where do we stand?"

"What are you blathering on about?" England replied, annoyed that he was being disturbed during tea time.

America frowned before saying again, "Where do we stand? I mean, relationship wise…"

"… Um…" England said, stalling for time. "Well, you know… We're…"

"If you say friends, I…"

"… Do you not want to be friends?" England asked, trying hard to keep the sadness out of his voice and failing miserably. He wanted to be friends with America… Even if he got annoying at times, he found the boy's childish attitude to be endearing.

… Well, most of the time.

It reminded him of when he was still his little colony who wet the bed, and would cuddle with him in his own bed when he had a nightmare… Although now, he must admit, he had grown up to be a fine country, albeit a little arrogant and a touch too loud, but the point was that he was not just a young boy anymore. Now, he was a man, and England was well aware of this fact. Although he also just wished he could sit with him again like they used to… America would lean against him and he'd wrap his arms around him while they both drank tea and watched the sunset…

But now, just as America had grown up, so have England's thoughts about the blue-eyed boy. Now, along with cuddling by the sunset, he also wanted to lean over and kiss that childish, blonde boy…

And not on the forehead, like he used to. No, he wanted to kiss him somewhere les… appropriate, if you will, for just a friendship.

He knew that it was wrong of him to think this way. For one thing, he was pretty sure that America wouldn't feel the same way – he did work incredibly hard for his independence, after all… And for another, any sort of "intimate" relationship between the countries might disrupt the balance in the world, and could be catastrophic.

"Of course I do!" America said loudly, distracting the other from his thoughts. "I love being your friend, England! It's just… I don't know…" He looked down suddenly, his bangs covering his face while he clenched his fists. He just stood there like that for who knows how long – motionless, speechless, almost like a statue at one of his wax museums that he's so proud of. He stood there for so long that England was starting to worry about him.

"… it's just what?" the island nation asked finally, not being able to stand a silent America anymore. The boy was usually so energetic, why was he acting like this? Sure, sometimes he wished the boy would act more serious once in awhile, but that wasn't his style and the English nation knew that. "America, what is it?" he asked again after receiving nothing but this uncharacteristic silence. When his previous colony still did not speak or even move, he raised his hand tentatively and placed it gently on his shoulder. "Ameri –"

He never got to finish that word as said boy grabbed him by the shoulders and pressed his mouth roughly to his. England only had time to widen his eyes in surprise before the younger nation stopped and avoided his gaze by looking down, but he was still close enough so that England could see a very pronounced blush that no doubt matched his own.

"Th-there…"America muttered. "That was… What I, what I wanted to…" he opened his mouth to speak more, but nothing came out.

"… I, I see…" England said, avoiding his gaze as well. Every part of him felt warm and tingly, especially his face and shoulders, where America's hands still lay. His stomach was rolling as the short kiss played over and over in his head, and he _knew _that it happened because of the way his friend was acting.

He blushed harder as the implications of such an action came to him. He then held a hand up to his lips and said, "Y-you…!" in a rather flustered manner.

"S-sorry!" America said upon hearing that last word hang in the air. He relinquished his hold on England's shoulders and started twiddling his fingers, looking down at them embarrassedly. "It's just I've wanted to do that for such a long time but I knew it'd be weird since you used to take care of me and all and I didn't know if you'd feel the same way or if you'd even…" he rambled before pausing awkwardly. "I mean, you usually seem kinda mad at me a lot 'cause I do some stuff that you don't really like and I'm loud and all that stuff you say but sometimes you seem to really like me –"

"America," England tried to interrupt, but he just kept going:

"– and act like you wanna hang out and stuff but I don't wanna hang out as friends or brothers anymore but I didn't think that you'd feel that way cause you're all about etiquette and respect and all that crap –"

"America –!"

"– and we have a status to uphold as countries and we're really different and stuff but gosh I just I mean I've wanted to do that for a long time – after my independence of course! It's not like I've felt that way since I was a kid, that'd just be awkward for both of us –"

"AMERICA!"

"– but now I have stronger feelings for you and that was really corny wasn't it? I'm sorry I'm just really nervous right now and I tend to say more than I mean to when I'm nervous and –"

America finally ceased his endless babbling when England grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss. The blue-eyed boy stared at the other nation's eyelids with surprise as his face slowly increased in temperature while the rest of his body froze up. He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but when the kiss finally ended, America jut stood there. Frozen, blushing, wide-eyed.

"B, bloody git," England muttered after a few seconds of silence. He was still holding on to the others' shirt, but the blush on his face made _him _feel like blushing as well. "I, I only did that because you wouldn't stop talking, I –"

America just grinned as England's face slowly heated up. "Iggy, dude, you're funny~!"

England blinked up at him, a little thrown by the random proclamation. "And you're a loud, annoying American. What else is new?"

America laughed. "If you only kissed me to shut me up, then why are you still holding my shirt~?"

England released his hold immediately before placing his arms behind his back. "Because… well, I had to be sure you wouldn't start babbling again!"

"Oh, really?" America said, unconvinced.

"Yes, really!" England replied indignantly.

"You'll have to understand if I don't believe you."

"And why should I bloody understand that?!"

"Because you believe in a _lot _of things that aren't true!"

"Name one thing!"

"Flying Mint Bunny?"

"He bloody exists, you idiot!"

"Then how come no one else has ever seen him?"

"Because he's not very sociable, all right?!"

America laughed again. "My point is, England, that you _wanted _to kiss me~!"

"Wh-what?" England asked, blushing again. He crossed his arms and avoided America's gaze by looking away snobbishly. "That's absurd! To even think such a thing is –" he stopped talking quickly when America kissed him again, realizing with dismay that his stomach was roiling once more.

Out of all the countries in the world, why did it have to be _him?_

England pulled away, blushing and holding the back of his hand up to his lips. Honestly, he would have _loved_ to give in – to be close to him, to wrap his arms around the other's neck and kiss him back while his stomach turned and his heart fluttered and his head ceased to think logically. But he just… _couldn't_. What would everyone else think? There was a silent agreement between the countries of the world that they wouldn't "marry" or "date" anyone – human and nation alike. The only exception was when one of their bosses told them to get married. A lot of people were already giving Germany grief for how close he was to Italy, though the latter didn't seem to care (he probably didn't even _know _about the unspoken agreement).

Plus… No one would have ever imagined England to like _anybody_ like "that," especially not _America_. Not to mention that France would _never _let him hear the end of it, since he had been teasing him about an American crush and England constantly denied it.

"… America, I –" he started to say, but he was interrupted.

"I love you."

England stared at him, wide-eyed, his heart having just skipped a beat. "… I, I love you, too, love –"

"I don't mean just as friends," America clarified, setting his brow in a determined manner. Of course England had known what he meant, but he had been trying to play it off… Give him a chance to take those three words back, or demote them a little…

Obviously, he wasn't going to take that chance.

"England," America said softly, but the older nation wasn't looking at him, seeing as he was finding the floor very interesting at the moment. "England, look at me," America tried again. When all that accomplished was making the other cringe slightly, he grabbed England's hands and intertwined their fingers, pulling him closer.

This time, England looked up at him, and once green eyes met blue ones there was no going back.

"England," America said again, his face serious and almost pained. "I love you… I don't _care_ about what anyone else thinks, and I don't care if we're not supposed to, be like this…" He frowned and lessened the grasp on England's hands, feeling a little depressed when England didn't tighten his grip "I still love you… But if you don't feel the same way, then…" He released the boy's hands and took a step back, head down so his bangs could cover the disappointment on his face. "I'm sorry for wasting your time…"

He started walking away, saying nothing as he made it to the front door of his house. He watched him turn the handle slowly, biting his lip anxiously. "Wait…!" he said quietly, covering his mouth immediately afterwards, his heart beating faster as he waited to see if America had or had not heard him. As the door started opening, England ran forward and hugged the younger nation from behind, pulling him back in the room a little as he reached past the boy and closed the door with a decisive SLAM.

That sound rang throughout the house as England closed his eyes tight and continued to hug America, burying his head in the boy's shoulder. "… I love you, too, idiot," he said into his signature bomber jacket, not even sure if America could understand or even hear him.

Obviously, he had heard him.

"You do?" the blue-eyed nation said, not being able to contain a grin.

"… Yes, okay?" England said, blushing.

America turned around and wrapped his arms around the boy he loved, smiling as he pulled him up against himself and watched Iggy look away shyly, pushing against America's arms lightly. He laughed before telling him, "I never thought you'd actually…"

"Well, I do, so shut it," England said, looking up at him and wrapping his arms around the boy's shoulders, pulling himself flush up against him, his breathing catching slightly when he realized he was about to kiss him again.

America chuckled. "That was cute~!" he teased, successfully pissing England off and receiving a glare.

"Well, you're pretty cute, too," England said, smirking. "Especially when you were younger and held on to me for dear life whenever we watched a scary movie –"

"Hey!" America interrupted, blushing from embarrassment. "I can handle scary movies now!-!"

"Really? Japan's told me otherwise."

"… Damn it, Japan."

England laughed, and then, not being able to resist any longer, he kissed him again, closing his eyes and becoming lost as his thoughts and senses were consumed by the boy in front of him who eagerly kissed him back, tightening the grip on his waist. In all his years, England had never dared to even _think_ about kissing anyone romantically, but now that he was… He had to admit, kissing was a smashing experience.

He separated to breathe, looking at a red-faced America through half-lidded eyes while smiling. "Something wrong, love?" he asked teasingly.

"… It's just that," America started, blushing more, "I, uh, didn't think you'd be such a good kisser…"

England was surprised, to say the least. He had never kissed anyone before, at least not like this, so the idea of him being good at something he was so green at… Well, it did wonders for his ego.

He chuckled. "You're not half bad yourself, love," he whispered against the other's lips before kissing him again, this time with just a little more passion.

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**A/N: Please review if you liked it :) **


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